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Flood Zone 9 liaison warns FEMA ruling delays removal of fish ladder and other projects; county pledges more transparency

Ross Town Council · February 13, 2026

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Summary

Flood Zone 9 liaison Chris Martin told the council FEMA will not approve removal of Building Bridge 2 or the Ross fish ladder until downstream mitigation measures are completed; the county had known about the ruling before the advisory board meeting, prompting calls for better transparency.

Chris Martin, the town’s liaison to Flood Zone 9, reported to the Ross Town Council that FEMA recently ruled certain flood‑risk projects cannot proceed until downstream mitigation measures are completed. Martin said the ruling affects the removal of Building Bridge 2 in San Anselmo and other projects, including proposed removal of a fish ladder in Ross tied to the Corte Madera Creek flood risk management plan.

Martin told the council that county staff had been aware of FEMA’s position before the advisory board met in November and expressed the advisory board’s dismay at not having been informed earlier. He said Director Blanc of the Marin County Department of Public Works pledged greater transparency and planned to meet with a group of affected downstream property owners in San Anselmo and Ross to discuss mitigation options; Martin said unanimous agreement of affected property owners is required for the Building Bridge 2 removal to proceed and the county set a mid‑April target for consensus among impacted owners.

Martin cautioned that the fish ladder removal plan and other creek modifications would need to be reworked to meet FEMA freeboard requirements and that current plans have been returned to the drawing board. He also noted potential impacts to other projects if downstream flood walls and freeboard cannot be addressed.

The council asked follow‑up questions about whether local projects such as Winship Bridge would be affected; Martin said some projects under Flood Zone 9 were not discussed at the advisory board but acknowledged downstream mitigation concerns are now a central constraint for multiple planned works.